Fireplace.



` No. 7|4,24I. Patented' Nov. 25, i902.

Mi J. BDBBINS.

F l B E P L AG E (Appucntin mea may 14, 1901.)

(No maal.)

`Illlllllllllllllllllll illllllllllllllllllllll' iIlllllllllllllllllllill ATENT OFFICE.

MILO J. ROBBINS, OF CI-IATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

FIREPLAQE.

SPEGIFIQATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,241, dated November 25, 1902.

l l W i Application filed May 14, 1901. Serial No. 60,192. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it 11a/cry concer-71,:`

Be it known that l, MILO J. ROBBINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattasame is to provide simple and effective means usual basket-grate 2.

for adjustably closing the front of a fireplace above a grate, so as to increase or decrease the open space above the latter, as may be desired, and also to completely cover the upper portion of a grate to assist in starting a re or facilitating combustion of fuel therein, and, furthermore, to provide means oftan ornamental character to close the replace in seasons when iire is unnecessary.

The invention consists in the constructie and arrangement of the several parts -which Willbemore fully hereinafter described and claimed. j

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fireplace, showing the improved d evice applied thereto andas closed down over the grate. Fig. 2gis a transverse verticall section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, showing the covering or door in raised position in dotted lines.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in both views.

The numeral'l designates alireplace of any desirable dimensions and provided with the On each side of the front of the fireplace are combined guide and retaining strips 3, formed `of suitable metal and provided with ears 4t at their outer edges to receive fastening devices, such as screwbolts. The said strips stand outwardly from the adjacent portions of the faces of the sides of the fireplace to which they are applied and are open at their inner side or edge portions. The lower end of eachstrip is extended inwardly at a right angle to form a lower stop or base-rest 5, and at suitable intervals above the latter stop or base rest the strips are formed with supporting-steps 6, having incovering or door.

vantageous reduction in the outward extent of the said strips to maintain a comparatively close vertical guiding means for'the covering or door 8 when the latter is raised to its full extent. The said covering or door is bowed similar to an ordinary blower and has straight flat iianges 9 at the opposite ends, the body of the covering or door being of suitable or preferred artistic design and provided with a series of openings iilled with mica pieces 10 or the like. For convenience in vertically adjusting the covering or door it is provided with knobs or hand-grips 1l, and coacting with the said covering or door to form an in closure is an upper cap or outwardly-projecting top 12. Any suitable form of damper may be applied to the fireplace above or adjacent to the cap or top to control the chimneydraft,'and when the covering or door is down in contact with the top portion of the grate and fully incloses the. opening of the fireplace above said grate the glow of the tire or burning fuel will be apparent through the mica pieces 10 after the manner of an ordinary stove and produce a pleasing effect. The inwardly-inclined portions of the strips between the supporting-steps 6 also has another important function, which is to permit the said covering or door to be arranged at an inclination to cause the lower edge to be pulled into contact with said steps, particularly the intermediate or first step, without binding or bending any portion of the said The flanges 9 loosely work in the guides therefor formed by the strips 4, and when the door or covering is raised so that the lower side edge will engage 'the rst step the fireplace will be partially uncovered immediately above the grate and arrange the latter to have the appearance of an ordinary grate with the addition formed by the covering or door at an elevation thereabove. By raising and supporting the covering or door to and on the upper step the fireplace will be cleared to a still greater extent, or if it is desired to fully inclose the fireplace above the grate the lower side edge of the attachment is let down to contact with the upper portion of the grate, as shown. The degree of adjustment can be still further varied by increasing the number of steps, which would be an obvious change without departing from the ICO spirit of the invention. In seasons when re is unnecessary the covering or door can belet down to the grate and fully inclose the replace, thereby presenting an ornamental arrangement and insuring retention of the covering or door in its applied position without liability of its accidental detachment.

The improved devices can be readily applied at a minimum expense, and changes in the form, size, and proportions, as well as the minor details, may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention.

By having the steps arranged as set forth and inclined inwardly from the outer portions of the lower steps to the inner portions of the upper steps the covering or door can be thrown back at an incline and be thereby caused to more positively retain its adj usted position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- Side pieces hat on their inner sides and thereby adapted to lie on and project from the plane vertical face of a fireplace at the sides thereof, fastening means to secure them in place, vertical guide-grooves on their inner sides at their lower ends, said guide-grooves being closed on their inner sides by the face of the fireplace' and open at their upper ends, and upper pockets lying without the plane of and communicating at their inner sides with said grooves, vthe outer walls of said pockets inclining inwardly, upwardly,and said pockets being further provided at'their lower sides with upstanding ianges 7 contiguous to the grooves, in combination with the vertically-movable laterally-tiltable door or blower having side flanges to bear directly in contact with the face of the fireplace, operate in the guide-grooves of the side pieces and engage and lie in front of the iianges 7 of the pockets when raised, whereby the door is maintained in a vertical position by the grooves of the side pieces when lowered and in an inclined position by the pockets and iianges 7 when raised, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MILO J. ROBBINS.

Witnesses:

J. W. KEENER, J. F. SUMMERS. 

